Wow Up Your Words!

1. Wow Up Your Words! Strategies for improving and developing vocabulary Presented by Lancashire Leading Literacy Teachers

2. Words are fun! Lots of jokes are based upon word play… The man who recently fell into an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.

3. Aim: To provide practical strategies for improving and developing vocabulary throughout Foundation Stage, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

4. Framework Objectives See Handout page 1

5. Vocabulary Knowledge • Listening comprehension depends on knowledge of words. • The meanings of individual words contribute to the meanings of sentences and therefore to understanding. • Females tend to master language more quickly than males. • Women use around 7,000 words a day, whereas men use about 2,000.

6. The Development of Language • During the early years, vocabulary extends at a rapid rate of 50-70 words per week, through oral conversation • By the time the child is five he/she will have an oral vocabulary of about 14,000 words • Research shows that some of our five year old pupils have an oral vocabulary of less than 9,000 words – often pupils from poorer homes • How would this impact on learning? • What could we do about this?

7. Developing Vocabulary • After the age of five, oral conversation is a much less effective way of developing vocabulary knowledge. • Reading and teaching of words, phrases, metaphor and idiom takes over at this point. • These are key elements in developing written language. • We need to ensure that we provide opportunities for this.

8. Importance of reading slim bandy munching buckle prance elegant bold See handout page 2

9. Word of the week awfully

10. The Foundation Stage Classroom Display vocabulary within each area of provision or resource, e.g. Water Tray: pour, splash, drip, wet, full, empty, overflowing… Playdough: stretch, break, squash, mould, join, cut, press… See handout pages 4 and 5

11. Words are fun! I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but I knew eventually it would come back to me.

12. It’s a cracker! Children love to collect or make up jokes. Encourage their understanding of words by asking them to explain why it’s funny. See handout page 6

13. ‘Articulate’ • Take a noun from the pile on the table. • Describe it to your partner without naming it. Use descriptive language to help your partner visualise what you are describing. • Can your partner guess what it is?

14. Synonym Race • You have thirty seconds. • Think of as many alternative words as you can for… look

15. Talking verbs • Working in pairs, make a list of alternative words for ‘said’. • Write your words onto the grid on page 8. • Think of a simple sentence that someone might say, e.g. ‘Where have I put my glasses?’ • Take it in turns to choose a word from the list and say the sentence accordingly. Can the other person guess which word was chosen? From: Jumpstart! Literacy by Pie Corbett

16. The POWER of words! Quite often, synonyms can be ordered by how powerful they are, e.g. bighugecolossal Order the cards according to how powerful you think the words are.

17. Shades of meaning • Start with a feelings word from the list. • Choose a colour card. • Brainstorm synonyms for your feelings word. • Write the synonyms onto the colour card in order of strength.

18. Words are fun! He didn't tell his mother that he had eaten the glue. His lips were sealed.

19. Compound Words Compound words are words made up of two or more other words, e.g. bedroom, downstairs, football Use the list of compound words on handout page 10. Make a new words by taking the beginning of one word and end of another. Can you think up a definition for your new word? jellyfish + playground = jellyground jellyground: a boggy area where the ground wobbles when you walk on it.

20. Crazy Definitions Lots of dancing cakes Abundance Armies Earwig Elastic band Fish Fingers Gladiator Hippies Labrador Microwave • The things you have up your sleevies • A piece of false hair worn over the ears • A group who play rubber instruments • What fish have 5 of on each hand • How the monster felt after lunch • The things you hang your leggies on • Large cat-flap for dogs • Very small greeting

21. Words are fun! Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

22. Sensory scenes hear smell see feel/touch

23. Super settings As fresh as a mountain stream fresh rocky lush cool The sea was a shimmering plate of glass. clear lapping smooth

24. Descriptive words similes metaphors

25. Genre related words See handout for a Fantasy StoryWord Chart taken from The Usbourne Illustrated Thesaurus. A fantastic resource, full of words and phrases to help children make their writing more exciting.

26. Words are fun! What did the triangle say to the circle? You're so pointless!

27. One noun: Two adjectives: Three adverbs: Four verbs: Spaghetti Thin and soft, Silently, slowly, easily, Slipping, sliding, slithering, disappearing. Fast poem

28. Words are fun! Are Santa's helpers subordinate clauses?

29. Talking Homework Dear Parents and Carers, This week’s Talk Homework is to talk about the following: Who was naughtier, Goldilocks or Jack of the Beanstalk? What do you think? Discuss. Remember, no television on during Talk Homework! We shall all share our ideas and thoughts at assembly next Monday. Ros Wilson

30. Resources • Primary Framework for literacy www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primaryframeworks/ • Jokes found at www.kidsjokes.co.uk • Jumpstart! Literacy by Pie Corbett ISBN 1-84312-102-6 • The Usbourne Illustrated Thesaurus ISBN 0-7460-23529

31. Questions and Close